With his dog Callie on his shoulder, artist Jean Franco Pilas honors Frida Kahlo and his resemblance to her.

With his dog Callie on his shoulder, artist Jean Franco Pilas honors Frida Kahlo and his resemblance to her.

Photo: Mike Kepka

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A photograph of the much-admired Mexican artist herself is posted on the wall in Pilas' San Francisco home.

A photograph of the much-admired Mexican artist herself is posted on the wall in Pilas' San Francisco home.

Photo: Mike Kepka

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Pilas celebrates Frida Kahlo on the day after her birthday.

Pilas celebrates Frida Kahlo on the day after her birthday.

Photo: Mike Kepka

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Jean Franco Pilas heads to his barista job at San Francisco's Stable Cafe.

Jean Franco Pilas heads to his barista job at San Francisco's Stable Cafe.

Photo: Mike Kepka

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At his San Francisco home, artist Jean Franco Pilas honors Frida Kahlo by pinning orange flowers in his hear.

At his San Francisco home, artist Jean Franco Pilas honors Frida Kahlo by pinning orange flowers in his hear.

Photo: Mike Kepka

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Jean Franco Pilas make a coffee drink at the Stable Cafe in San Francisco. Often people people come in and remark on his resemblance to Frida Kahlo and on special occasions has been encouraged to come to work dressed as the artist. less

Jean Franco Pilas make a coffee drink at the Stable Cafe in San Francisco. Often people people come in and remark on his resemblance to Frida Kahlo and on special occasions has been encouraged to come to work ... more

Photo: Mike Kepka

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Jean Franco Pilas heads to work at the Stable Cafe in San Francisco. Over the years he has had many people tell him how much he resembles famed artist Frida Kahlo. He considers the similarities to be a great gift. less

Jean Franco Pilas heads to work at the Stable Cafe in San Francisco. Over the years he has had many people tell him how much he resembles famed artist Frida Kahlo. He considers the similarities to be a great ... more

Photo: Mike Kepka

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With his dog Cali on his shoulder, artist Jean Franco Pilas honors Frida Kahlo in his San Francisco back home. Pilas says learning about Frida Kahlo has given him the strength and confidence to be exactly who he is as a person despite what others might think. less

With his dog Cali on his shoulder, artist Jean Franco Pilas honors Frida Kahlo in his San Francisco back home. Pilas says learning about Frida Kahlo has given him the strength and confidence to be exactly who ... more

Photo: Mike Kepka

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With his dog Cali on his lap, artist Jean Franco Pilas honors Frida Kahlo in his San Francisco home.

With his dog Cali on his lap, artist Jean Franco Pilas honors Frida Kahlo in his San Francisco home.

Photo: Mike Kepka

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San Francisco artist Jean Franco Pilas walks to work in the Mission.

San Francisco artist Jean Franco Pilas walks to work in the Mission.

Photo: Mike Kepka

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Sitting in his San Francisco kitchen, artist Jean Franco Pilas tells of his connection to Frida Kahlo and how her strength has helped him overcome many life challenges.

Sitting in his San Francisco kitchen, artist Jean Franco Pilas tells of his connection to Frida Kahlo and how her strength has helped him overcome many life challenges.

Photo: Mike Kepka

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San Francisco artist Jean Franco Pilas says learning about Frida Kahlo has given him the strength confidence to be exactly who he is as a person despite what others might think.

San Francisco artist Jean Franco Pilas says learning about Frida Kahlo has given him the strength confidence to be exactly who he is as a person despite what others might think.

Photo: Mike Kepka

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He's the very picture of Frida Kahlo

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A recent Monday, 4:24 p.m.: As he stands next to his backyard fig tree, with a Chihuahua mix named Callie perched on his shoulder, there is no denying that Jean Franco Pilas bears a striking resemblance to one of the great artists of the 20th century, Frida Kahlo.

This particular day was July 7, the anniversary of the day Kahlo claimed she had been born in 1910. (In fact, she was born July 6, 1907 - speculation is that Kahlo said she was born in 1910 because that was the year of the Mexican Revolution.)

Pilas honored his hero by putting orange flowers in his hair, applying a touch of makeup and wearing dangly earrings.

"Imagine waking up to this face every day and knowing you kind of look like this great artist," he said.

Kahlo was revered for her tenacity and unrelenting free spirit, and Pilas considers his resemblance to be a great gift. He's used it to overcome challenges in his own life.

He was born 33 years ago and raised far from Kahlo's Mexico City birthplace, in the Philippine city of Cebu. His struggles with gender and sexual orientation began at the age of 5 when he told family members of his interest in boys.

"As a kid, being beaten up by people you're supposed to trust ... it does something to you," Pilas said. "It makes you hide things. Even though I tried not to let it bother me, as a teenager it made me feel inferior to other people.

"Frida gave me the strength to be who I am."

At 13, he moved to the United States to live with his mother, who had come here when Pilas was a baby. But it soon became clear that she also disapproved of him, and he moved out as soon as he turned 18.

"My mom told me if I was gay, I was going to die homeless," Pilas said.

He moved in with friends and put himself through the College of Marin. Later he was accepted at UC Berkeley, where he studied theater and dance. He is proud to be the first in his family to graduate from college.

Pilas knew nothing of Kahlo until he took a women's art history class in 2000. Four years later, he decided to dress up as the artist for Halloween, and his friends were astonished at the resemblance. Now, even when he's not wearing makeup or Frida-like outfits, people on the street sometimes stop him to ask about his doppelganger.

For Pilas, though, the connection to Kahlo has become much deeper than surface appearances. She has become a symbol of strength, individuality and confidence.

After his experience at SFMOMA, Pilas began researching her history, finding parallels to his own life - like Kahlo, Pilas describes himself as stubborn and headstrong. He grew his hair, saved his money and visited Kahlo's birthplace, La Casa Azul. At a gay bar in Mexico City, he was brought up on stage to screams of "Frida!"

"He's about the best Frida I've seen," said longtime friend and roommate Stephanie St. Hilaire. "It's what he is. It's what he breathes and it's what needs to be able to express himself as an artist. I can't do anything but accept him."

Pilas has dreams of one day acting on the big screen and showing his own artwork in a museum. For now, though, he walks to his job as a barista at the Stable Cafe in the Mission, confident in who he is.

"I'm definitely honoring the life of this great artist Frida Kahlo, but at the same time I'm honoring my life as well," Pilas said. "She did what she wanted to do and she would fight for it, and I started learning to fight for myself through what she had done.

"Certain things just happen to you, and you either embrace it or you don't," Pilas said.